I don’t know where else to put this. I’m sorry if it’s in the wrong place and will move it if it’s not appropriate here.
Every time I read anything from so-called solarpunks, it reads like slightly left of centre ravings of doomsday preppers. They seem to love many of the same fascist talking points. For example, individualism self-sufficiency , which sounds a lot like the frontier cowboy fantasies of right-wing nutters. They promote what essentially is subsistence farming, which is a terrible way to live. There’s a reason this kind of shit leads to famine in developing countries. An almost enthusiastic fantasy surrounding primitism and the loss of technology. There are so many issues, I could go on. Unless I’m missing something (possible) I don’t see much appealing about solarpunk because it seems to have a delusional nostalgia for the “good old days”, much in the way conservativism does.
Is it really as crackpot as it sounds? If not, what am I missing?
I think the main thing you’re missing is when people are self-reliant, you don’t hear about them.
Getting ready for a future of renewable energy, making society more sustainable, why are these things you resist?
Because what I see is knee-jerk reaction to tech and as you said, "self-reliance"which sounds like a cross between American exceptionalist frontier nonsense mixed with feudalism. It also parallels the anti-globalist wingnut paranoia. If that is supposed to be sustainability, no thanks. And no, I’m not an anarchist, I’m a socialist. Your ideals don’t have a monopoly on a more sustainable future. It’s like libertarians saying, “why do you hate freedom”.
You’re really negative.
I didn’t say they were my ideas, but you’ve ascribed them to me and insulted me in the same sentence.
Whatever better socialist future you’re envisioning, that’s great, let’s work towards a better future for everybody
Solarpunk is still very communitarian with a healthy dash of anarchism. The focus is on sustainability and using technology to support both human and ecological flourishing rather than that of metahuman entities like businesses, states, or organizations.
What you see as “doomsday pepper shit” and “subsistence farming” is radical anticonsumerism. People wanting to support themselves and each other rather than make money and buy products.
Solarpunks aren’t luddites or antisocial, quite the opposite. That’s what you see to be missing.
Ok but you do see the problem with subsistence farming, no? Because at the end of the day, that’s what it is. If there is no movement of food to where it’s needed, and communities are insular, one bad harvest and people starve to death. You say you aren’t anti-technology, but what I’m seeing is anti-tech.
Yes, I see the problem with subsistence farming. Again, that’s not the goal. Tech-assisted, ecologically sustainable farming is.
Green cities, too, of course, but your objections seems to stem from misidentifing solarpunk as being about being some kind of off-grid individualists living off the land, which it is just not.
Yes, I’m picking up that “rugged individualist” energy. I did admit, I could be wrong. I guess I’m just looking for some sort of assurance that isn’t the case.
That was helpful. I’m not convinced but it cleared up your personal ideas. I guess I see dangers that parallel mistakes made in the past by revolutionary governments. Things need to change but I have serious concerns. As much as I’d like to believe in a solarpunk future, what I’m reading doesn’t instill much confidence.
sustainable farming leads to famine
What
I’m speechless. I have no speech. How on earth can a person wake up in the morning and have a thought like this.
Because not everyone thinks the same way. I can appreciate the basic concept of solarpunk and would love to be able to say I’m all into it, but there are some important questions I personally need resolved. If I didn’t ask, I wouldn’t know. They may not be questions you have, however that doesn’t mean they’re not valid.
